The epicentre of the temblor was located in the Mongol-Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Haixi, 17 kms from the world's highest Qinghai-Tibet railway which, however, has not suffered any damage, the provincial seismic bureau said.

The local government said no loss of life or property had been reported in the region, a quake-prone area located at an elevation of 5,000 metres.

Qinghai provincial government has asked the concerned departments to step up monitoring the quake situation and get fully prepared in case of emergencies, official Xinhua news agency said.